Donald Deacon
Encyclopedia
Donald MacKay Deacon, OC
, O.PEI
, MC
(1920 - 2003) was a Canadian
politician, businessman and volunteer.
Deacon was born and raised in a family of ten children in Toronto, Ontario. In 1942, he volunteered to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II
, rising to the rank of Captain. Deacon, a Forward Observation Officer, traveled with front line infantry in order to direct artillery fire via radio transmission. He was mentioned in dispatches as his Battery fought its way across France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany. He was awarded the Military Cross for risking his life to save soldiers under fire when his radio failed.
Following the war, Deacon married Florence Campbell and they moved to a farm outside of Unionville, Ontario where they raised a family of six. Deacon was elected to the town council of Markham, Ontario
and was appointed to the position of deputy reeve. He was one of the founders of Markham Stouffville Hospital. He spent most of his working career in business in the financial sector serving as chair of F.H. Deacon Hodgson Ltd and also served as president of the Canadian Club of Toronto
from 1968 to 1969.
Deacon was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Liberal
Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the 1967 provincial election
. He was re-elected in the 1971 election
and represented the Toronto
area riding
of York Centre until he resigned from the legislature in March 1974.
In 1973, Deacon ran for the Ontario Liberal leadership when Robert Nixon
indicated he was stepping aside. Nixon changed his mind, and was re-elected leader with Deacon finishing in third place behind Nixon and Norman Cafik
. When his friend and political colleague Barney Danson
was appointed Minister of Defence, Deacon worked with Danson and Jacques Hébert
to create Katimavik
, a national service program designed to enable unemployed youth help others and themselves at the same time.
Florence and Donald Deacon moved to Prince Edward Island
in 1981, where he was the founder and chair of Atlantic Canada's first venture capital fund, Atlantic Ventures Trust. He also continued his passion as an active volunteer, becoming president of the PEI Red Cross, national commissioner for Scouts Canada
, and founding president of Rail-to-Trails PEI
. He chaired the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
, served as a member of the board of Mount Allison University
(the alma mater of his grandfather Henry Emmerson
), and was an early and active member of the Trans Canada Trail
board of directors.
In 1987, he was made a member of the Order of Canada
and was promoted to officer in 2003.
In 2003, he was presented with the Order of Prince Edward Island
.
Exactly one week prior to his death in September 2003, Deacon was interviewed by Shelagh Rogers
on CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada
. It was the first in her series about Order of Canada recipients. During the moving interview, which Rogers often replayed as one of her favorites, Deacon recounted a conversation he had with a close friend in the final days of World War II. They were waiting as the infantry cleared out a machine gun nest along the road ahead and asked one another what they could do to prevent a recurrence of the horrible waste of life they had just survived. The two men agreed that all they could do was to go home, raise a family of caring individuals, contribute to the lives of others in their communities, and encourage everyone to travel the world so they could experience and gain respect for other cultures and people. Their conversation ended when they were given the all clear. Deacon's friend climbed back into his Scout car
, proceeded down the road and was killed instantly as he passed over an anti-tank mine. The war ended two days later. Deacon carried that conversation with him throughout his life.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.PEI
Order of Prince Edward Island
The Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Clements, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Catherine Callbeck, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1920 - 2003) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, businessman and volunteer.
Deacon was born and raised in a family of ten children in Toronto, Ontario. In 1942, he volunteered to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rising to the rank of Captain. Deacon, a Forward Observation Officer, traveled with front line infantry in order to direct artillery fire via radio transmission. He was mentioned in dispatches as his Battery fought its way across France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany. He was awarded the Military Cross for risking his life to save soldiers under fire when his radio failed.
Following the war, Deacon married Florence Campbell and they moved to a farm outside of Unionville, Ontario where they raised a family of six. Deacon was elected to the town council of Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
and was appointed to the position of deputy reeve. He was one of the founders of Markham Stouffville Hospital. He spent most of his working career in business in the financial sector serving as chair of F.H. Deacon Hodgson Ltd and also served as president of the Canadian Club of Toronto
Canadian Club of Toronto
The Canadian Club of Toronto is a club in Toronto which meets several times a month to hear lunchtime speeches given by invited guests from the fields of politics, law, business, the arts, the media, and other prominent fields....
from 1968 to 1969.
Deacon was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the 1967 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. He was re-elected in the 1971 election
Ontario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and represented the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of York Centre until he resigned from the legislature in March 1974.
In 1973, Deacon ran for the Ontario Liberal leadership when Robert Nixon
Robert Nixon
Robert Fletcher Nixon is a retired politician in the province of Ontario, Canada. The son of former Premier of Ontario Harry Nixon, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in a 1962 by-election following his father's death...
indicated he was stepping aside. Nixon changed his mind, and was re-elected leader with Deacon finishing in third place behind Nixon and Norman Cafik
Norman Cafik
Norman Augustine Cafik, PC is a former Canadian politician.Born in Toronto, Ontario of a Ukrainian-Polish father and a Scottish-Irish mother, Cafik was unsuccessful in his attempts to win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 and 1963 elections, but was elected as the Liberal Member...
. When his friend and political colleague Barney Danson
Barney Danson
Barnett Jerome Danson, was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister.Barney Danson was born to a Jewish family in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood...
was appointed Minister of Defence, Deacon worked with Danson and Jacques Hébert
Jacques Hébert
Jacques René Hébert was a French journalist, and the founder and editor of the extreme radical newspaper Le Père Duchesne during the French Revolution...
to create Katimavik
Katimavik
-Overview:Each Katimavik program consists of groups of 11 youths aged 17 to 21 who are drawn from all across Canada. They travel together to one or two different places in Canada for a period of six months. During the 2007-2008 program year there were 99 such groups spread across Canada...
, a national service program designed to enable unemployed youth help others and themselves at the same time.
Florence and Donald Deacon moved to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
in 1981, where he was the founder and chair of Atlantic Canada's first venture capital fund, Atlantic Ventures Trust. He also continued his passion as an active volunteer, becoming president of the PEI Red Cross, national commissioner for Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
, and founding president of Rail-to-Trails PEI
Confederation Trail
Confederation Trail is the name for a 470 kilometre recreational rail trail system in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.It was developed in the 1990s, following the December 31, 1989 abandonment of all railway lines in the province by Canadian National Railway .-Description and...
. He chaired the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council is a Canadian independent, non-partisan research and educational institution founded in 1954 whose objective is to promote the economic development of Atlantic Canada.It accomplishes this by:...
, served as a member of the board of Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is located about a half hour from the regional city of Moncton and 20 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport...
(the alma mater of his grandfather Henry Emmerson
Henry Emmerson
Henry Robert Emmerson, PC was a New Brunswick lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist.Henry Emmerson was educated at Amherst Academy, Mount Allison Academy, St. Joseph's College, Acadia College and earned a law degree from Boston University. He went on to a lucrative law practice and...
), and was an early and active member of the Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
board of directors.
In 1987, he was made a member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and was promoted to officer in 2003.
In 2003, he was presented with the Order of Prince Edward Island
Order of Prince Edward Island
The Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Clements, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Catherine Callbeck, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is...
.
Exactly one week prior to his death in September 2003, Deacon was interviewed by Shelagh Rogers
Shelagh Rogers
Shelagh Rogers, OC is a Canadian radio broadcaster. She is currently the host of CBC Radio One's The Next Chapter.Rogers grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. She was the "Head Girl" at her high school, Lisgar Collegiate Institute. She played in the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and was a spare on the Reach for...
on CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada
Sounds Like Canada
Sounds Like Canada was a Canadian radio program, which aired weekday mornings on CBC Radio One from 2002 to 2008. Until the end of May 2008, the program was hosted by the award-winning broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, and in the summers by a rotating series of guest hosts...
. It was the first in her series about Order of Canada recipients. During the moving interview, which Rogers often replayed as one of her favorites, Deacon recounted a conversation he had with a close friend in the final days of World War II. They were waiting as the infantry cleared out a machine gun nest along the road ahead and asked one another what they could do to prevent a recurrence of the horrible waste of life they had just survived. The two men agreed that all they could do was to go home, raise a family of caring individuals, contribute to the lives of others in their communities, and encourage everyone to travel the world so they could experience and gain respect for other cultures and people. Their conversation ended when they were given the all clear. Deacon's friend climbed back into his Scout car
Scout car
A scout car is a of military armored reconnaissance vehicle, capable of off-road mobility and often carrying mounted weapons such as machine guns for offensive capabilities and crew protection...
, proceeded down the road and was killed instantly as he passed over an anti-tank mine. The war ended two days later. Deacon carried that conversation with him throughout his life.